Traction-engine.



D. T. TIMBERLAKE.

TBAGTION ENGINE;

APPLIOATION FILEDAPR. z5, 1907.

@Vi h1 una pdb/f Patented Deo. 1, 1908.

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TRAGTION ENGINE.

`.LLPPLIOA'L'ION FILED APR. 2s, 1907.

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D. T. TIMBERLAKE.

TRAGTION ENGINE.

APPLIGATIQN FILED APR. z5, 1907.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

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Heiney D. T. TIMBERLAKE.4

TRAGTION ENGINE.

- APPLICATION FILED 11111.25, 1907.

Patented Deo. 1, 1908.

D. T. TIMBBRLAKE. TRAGTION ENGINE. APPLIOATION FILED APB. 25, 1907.

' 905,481. Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

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' To all lwhom 'it 'may concern:

DANIEL T. TIMBERLAKE, OF BAILEYVILLE, KAN-SAS.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

Spcification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.` 1, 1908.

appucaaan mea pra 25, V1907. serial Nq. 379,259.

`Bye it known that I., DANIEL T. TIMBER- LAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baileyville, 1n the county of Nemaha and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traction-Engines, of which the' following, is a specilcation.

My invention relates to improvements in traction engines.

Objects of the invention are to provide for the direct or positive delivery or transmission of the propelling action; to allow for the relatively independent movement of the front steering wheels or truck also to render the machine effective even in event of its being ditched, upset, or otherwise disabled;" -to provide for equalizing the action of the motion-transmitting gearing, also to reduce friction to the minimum between the same and adjunctive parts; to provide for readily adapting the machine for emergency purposes, as for instance for extricating another machine which may have been ditched or fallen over an embankment; to aid the traction action of the carrying wheels of the machine; and to carry out the urposes aforesaid in an eective and sim le, manner.-

Said invention consists '0 certain features orinstrumentalities substantially as hereinafter fully disclosed and specifically pointed out by theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the referred embodiment of my invention- Figure 1 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section produced through the rear wheel truck and axles. Fig. 4 is a like section taken through the forward truck, disclosing more particularly the pulling-attachment or drum thereof. Fig. 5 is a detailed plan view showing more es eciall the motion transmitting shaft an gear-lng between the forward and rear trucks. Fig. G is a broken detailed per spective view of one of the drawing or draft applying clevises which may be used herein. Fig. 7 is a side View of one of the carrying or traction wheels with the axles in section and the tractor's projected into effective position. Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken through Fig. 7 in the lane. of the wheel, with the tractors with rawn or retracted, the axles being also shown in section. Fig.

I l is an enlarged detached partly sectional and partly side view of a tractor. Fig. l() is a detached perspective view o-f the inkmember of a tractor. Fig. 11 is a broken detailed plan view, disclosing more particularly the innerl hub or sleeve portion of a wheel and the actuating lever for the traetors thereof.

In carrying out my invention, I employ mainly two trucks 1 and 2, each preferably of the general construction disclosed, the rear one, 1, embracing a frame 3 of general parallelogram-outline with a forward tapered extension having like structural members; and the forward one, 2, comprising a frame 4 having the s ame general outline but of much less dimensions than the aforesaid truck-frame.

The frames 3 and 4 of the trucks 1 and 2 aremounted in'position upon hollow axles or shafts 5 and 6, respectively, said shafts turning in vertical bearing plates 7 and 8,

secured to the respective frames aforesaid, and extending suitably beyond said plates, there being two separate shafts 5 and the 'same number of shafts 6, the purpose of which will be apparent hereinafter. Said hollow shafts have secured thereon, at their end-portions, the forward or steering wheels 9 and the rear wheels 10,- respectively, by 'means of suitable screw-threaded pins 11 and 12, said pins being inserted through coincidin apertures in the hubs of said wheels and sai shafts, said wheels thus being adapted to turn with said shafts. Within said hollow shafts 4are placed solid steel cores or thus aid to reinforce said shafts as against the stress exerted by the pulling action upon said shafts.

Into the outer open ends of the hollow shafts 5, 6, are inserted plugs or closures a b, for guarding the same against endwise displacement, said plugs, themselves, being held in place by means of said screw.- threaded pins 11, 12, inserted and screwed into transverse screw-threaded apertures in the outer end-portions of the wheel-hubs and passed through registering apertures in said hollow-shafts.` Said frames 3, 4 are connected together by what may be termed a preferably hollow reach 14 being circular in crosssection and having fixed thereto a collar 15 resting against a cross-piece of the frame 3,

horizontally, thus while the reach may rotate or turn in the frame 3, the frame 4 is allowed by this latter pivotal connection with said reach to readily describe arcs in its movement either to the right or left, as in suitably turning the machine; the rotating or turning of the reach allowing the forward truck to readily careen or tilt asin event of either truck-wheel passing over a stone or other obstacle. Also in this connection, it will be noted that, even in event of the machine being precipitated over an embankment and turmng clear over or being inverted, the forward truck, or the rear truck, would be allowed to have independent separate movements one'with relation to the other, and thus provide for the same assuming effective positions or land practically right side up, permittin the machineto be readily extric'ated from 1ts thus ditched position, and without aid outside of itself. By having the reach hollow or tubular itvmay serve as a conduit for the feed-water pipe for the engine. A preferably horizontal curved piece or bar 17 centrally fixed to the lower arm of the yoke 16 is effective to enage lateral uprights of the forward truck rame as the latter is turned either to the right or left, for restricting or limiting such movement, as will be readily appreciated.

A suitable engine or motor, as indicated in Fig. 1, is in practice mounted upon therear truck frame 3 and is designed to impart motion to a'shaft 18 journaled in suitable bearings secured upon said truck-frame, said shaft being equipped with a spur-gear pinion 19 geared to a corresponding large wheel 20 sleeved upon and so as to be carried by a shaft 21 suitably journaled in thev truckframe 3, again later referred to.

Alinin the shaft 21 is a sectional or twopart sha t 22 with one section or part suit-l ably journaled in the truck-frame 3 while the forward en d section thereof is suspended or journaled 1n position ina pendant or hanger a depending from a top cross-bar of the truck-frame 4. Both the rearmost section of the shaft 22 and the shaft 21 have sleeved upon them and carry corresponding beveled or miter gear-wheels or pinions 23a, 24h, respectively, said shafts being separate from one another and are provided with corresponding pinions 23, 24d the purpose' of which will presently be seen.

The sections of the shaft 22 are coupled forward and rear trucks may assume with relation to each other as in turning the machine or the tilting o rv careening of said.

trucks as when their wheels may meet obstacles. 1

A series of miter or beveled pinions 25 are carried in slots in the engine or motofdriven wheel 20, which pinions 25 gear with the wheels or pinions 23, 24d of the shafts 21, 22, thus providing for the equalization of the necessarily varying movements of said shafts and the simultaneous rotation or driving thereof, all in such manner as to avoid any undue friction between the same, and to allow of the ready responsive action of said shafts and turning one with the other, according to the movements of the driving or traction wheels.

The shaft 21 is equipped with the beveled or miter pinion 23a gearing with a some- -what larger corresponding pinion or wheel 27 sleeved upon,.and turning with the rear hollow axle 5, the sleeve 28 of which pinion 27 also having xed thereon a spur-gear pinion 29 gearing with a still much larger corresponding gear wheel 30 carried by a shaft 31 suitably journaled in the extreme rear end of the truck-frame 3. The shaft` 31 also carries a slidable spur-gear pinion 32 which is geared with a much larger like pinion or wheel 33 loosely carried by the solid core or shaft 12 arranged within the hollow rear shafts 5, thus -providing for transmitting motionfrom the spur-gear 32 to said pinion or wheel 33 independently of the traction wheel driven hollow shafts 5, the purpose of having the pinion 32 slidable being made apparent later. Said wheel 33 is also equipped with a series of small miter or beveled pinions 34 arranged in slots therein, as the like,

series of pinions aforesaid, and meshing with opposite much larger corresponding gear wheels 35 fixed to, and receiving mot-ion from the traction-wheel driven hollow shafts 5, respectively, whereby, it will be noted,

that each of these wheels 35 is capable of separate movement or rotation according as each rear driving or traction wheel may have a relatively varied movement, or one may have no appreciable movement and the other perform quite an arc as in turning. Also in the extreme front-end portion of the front.

truck-frame, is suitably 4 mounted in position a reel orjwindlass Avupon whichmay be vcoiled or wound a line, rope or cable (not shown) and which reel is equipped with'a pinion B and into engagement with said pinion may bemanually shipped the slidable inion 32 upon the shaft 31, when it may ge desired to improvise the machine as a pulling force'or power 'as for purposes hereinbe ore noted, among others.

In connection with the forward-truck wheel hollow shafts 6 and solid shaft 13 is employed a duplicate arrangement of spurgear pinions 36, 37, 38 and 39, shaft 40, and beveled or miter gearing or pinions 41 and 42 for obtaining like independent varying movements of saidv hollow axles carrying the forward traction wheels' and adj unctive parts as ascribed to the rear traction wheels and hollow axles and adjunctive parts. The spur-gear wheel 36 has integral therewith a miter or beveled pinion 43 gearing with the pinion 24b of the shaft 22, whereby motion may be transmitted fromsaidshaft to said forward gearing and forward hollow shafts', for the purposes aforesaid.

A pinion. 44 having its shaft 45 suitably journaled in the reach 14, is meshed with, and controlled or actuated by a worm or screw 46 carried by, and itself actuated by a suitable hand-wheel equipped shaft or rod 47 suitably journaled upon the reach 14 and in the rear truck-frame and so as to bel conveniently manipulated. Said pin-ion shaft 45' is also equipped with a sprocket-wheel 48 engaging preferably a l hain 49` suitably connected at its ends to preferably angular brackets or arms 50 secured laterally to the forward truck-frame, whereby it will be observed that by suitably actuating said handwheel equipped shaft or rod 47 the forward truckA may be suitably controlled in its movement according to the directionit may be which may desired to impart thereto, as in steering the machine. Also it will`be noted that. the shaft or rod 47 is formed in sections which are coupled together by a universal joint as at c to allow of the'ready' accommodation of the worm or screw 46 to the pinion 44 according to the angularity of relation these parts may assume, as especially when the wheels of the forward truck or the rear truck may have contact with an obstacle as a stone or otherwise as above noted in connection with the shaft 22 and the reach 14 and thus provide for the maintenance of said worm and pin ionl in operative or eifective engagement, as will be readily appreciated.

Suitable clevises 51 for the application of a pullingor'drawing force to either end of the machine should conditions call for it, as in extricating another vehicle or machine, have been ditched, or become disabled, are suitably provided. Each of these principally comprises preferably a curved or arcuate member or plate-like part 52 secured at its ends to, and between upper and lower bars of a truck-frame, and a horizontal bar 53 fixed to said truck-frame at,

one end and having its opposite end received and suitably pinned between the arms of a bifurcated clevis-member proper. Said arms have anumber of registering apertures for the reception of the retaining pin 54 for said bar 53 in place' in such clevis, while the part 52 has also a number of perforations therein for the reception of a pin 55 for the vertical adjustment of said part in the clevis member proper.

Each of the traction or transporting wheels 9, 10, in addition to being suitably armed upon its tread or rim with an upraised surl face or projection 56 of corrugated or zigzag out-line entirely encompassing the same to aid traction, is also equipped with numerous tractors or rods 57 radially movable or slidable through apertures or holes in said rim for entering the round to further aid traction and the e ect-iveness of the pulling power of the machine. Said tractors or rods are each preferably in two parts or sections 58, 59 coupled together by a screw-threaded sleeve 60 engaging screw-threaded surfaces of said sections or parts, said sections being preferably hollow. Said tractors or rods Aare suitably guided in their movement by a casing 61 suitably fixed to the wheel-spokes, at the center of the wheel; through which casing said tractorsor rods pass.

The inner end of each rod or tractor has an eye or loop receiving one arm or terminal of an approximately U-shaped link 62 whose `opposite arm 1s received in an aperture 63 of an annulariange 64 of a sleeve 65 slipped upon a traction-wheel hollow-shaft and upon which latter said sleeve is adapted to be turned by a manually actuated lever 66 fixed to a collar or ring held preferably by a set-screw to said sleeve. To the face of said flange 64 isvsuitably brazed, or cast therewith, a cam 67 having a circular series vof perimetrical points, or which may` be very appropriately termed star-pointed.

The links 62 to which are connected the rods or tractors 57, it will be observed, rest normally upon said points or projections of said cam, whereby by suitably actuating the lever 66,'said points or projections will be caused to engage saidlinks which have the effect to project said rods or tractors as in providing for thrusting the latter into the ground with the rotation of the wheel.

1. A machine as described, comprising a forward truck, a rear truck, and a reachmember between said trucks, turning in the rear truck and havinga fixed yoke at its forward end having laterally pivoting connection with the forward truck, said yoke having laterally extending horizontal arms effective for controlling the turning move-` ment of the forward truck.

2. A machine as described, comprising a forward truck,I a rear truck, a reach-member between said trucks turning in said rear truck and having a'forward-end fixed arcuate yoke having a laterally pivoting connection with the forward truck.

3. A device as described, comprising ay fortional shaft and additional gearing between shafts being intergeared with the wheel ward truck, a rear truck, a swiveling reach connection between said trucks and inde'- pendent of all moving parts of the engine, and actuating or drivingnieans for saidj trucks including a sectional shaft with its I sections universally jointed together and l geared to the forward-truck gear.

4. A machine as described, comprising a forward truck, a rear truck, a swiveling reach-connection independent of all moving parts of the engine and extending between said trucks and driving or actuating means for said trucks, including a sectional shaft with its sections universally jointed together and geared to the forward-truck gear, and additional gearing between said shaft and the rear truck. s

5. A machine as described, comprising a forward truck, a rear trucli, a swiveling reach-connection independent of all moving parts of the engine and extending between said trucks, and driving or actuating means for said trucks including a shaft-connection geared to the forward-truck gear, an addisaid shafts and the rear truck wheel shafts effectivefor equalizing the action of the rear wheels and their shafts.

6. A machine as described, comprising a forward truck, a rear truck, a reach-connection between said trucks comprising the sole connection between trucks, said reach swiveled to one truck frame and pivoted or hinged to the other, and driving or actuating meansfor said trucks, embracing a shaftconnection geared to the forward-truck gear, an additional shaft alining the aforesaid shaft, a motor or engine carried by said inachine, separate shafts for the rear truck wheels, and equalizing gear effective for separately controlling said rear wheel shafts from said motor'.

7. A machine as described, comprising a forward truck, a rear truck, a reach-connection between said trucks, and driving or actuating means for said trucks embracing alining shafts one geared to the forward truck gear, separate shafts for the rear wheels, an independent spur-gear pinion carrying a number of separate lmiter pinions, opposedv miter gears controlling said rear wheel shafts and meshing with the aforesaid miter lpinions, and a motor or engine geared to said independent spur-gear, said alining shaft-controllinggears. i

8. A machine 4as described, comprising a rear truck, a forward truck, a reach-connection between said trucks comprising the sole connection between trucks, said reach swiveled to one truck frame and pivoted oz hinged to the other, and actuating or driving means for said trucks, including separate shafts for traction or driving wheels,

opposed miter gear wheels controlling said wheel-shafts, an independent spur-gear cary rying separate miter pinions meshing with the aforesaid initer gear wheels, a motor or engine arranged upon said machine and geared to said spur-gear.

9. A machine as described, comprising a said hollow shafts, series of equalizing gearing embracing opposed miter gears controlling said hollow wheel shafts, spur-gears loosely arranged upon said solid shafts and carrying separate miter pinions meshing with said miter gear-wheels, said spur-gears being geared to said motor, independent pinions sleeved upon said hollow shafts and alining shafts geared with the aforesaid pinions and one also being geared to the forward truck gearing and the other also geared to the rear truck gearing.

l0. A machine as described, comprising'a truck with its wheel shafts geared for inde-- pendent movement, a spur-gear, carrying separate'miter-gears meshing with the wheelshaft gearing, a slidable pinion adapted to be suitably driven, and a rope or cable winding `reel or windlass having its shaft provided with a pinion, said slidable pinion effective for engagement either with said spurgear or with the last referred to pinion for the purpose stated. l 1l. A machine as described, comprising a forward truck, a rear truck, means for communicating motion to said trucks, a reach effecting connection between the trucks, a pinion having its shaft journaled upon said reach and carrying a sprocket-wheel at its lower end, a steering chainconnected to said forward truck and engaged by said sprocketwheel, and a shaftl or rod supported upon said machine and carrying a worm or screw meshing with said pinion, said shaft or rod also having its sectionsiconnected together I by a universal joint, and its inner end supported upon the forward truck. 'j

l2. A machine as described, comprising forward and rear trucks, coupling means between said trucks and driving means for said trucks, including .hollow wheel shafts and their intergeared equalizing pinions,

said hollow shafts having pins inserted through their outer end-portions vpassing through the wheel hubs and through closures or plugs inserted in said end portions 13. The combination of front and rear trucks, and an idle reach swiveled to one truck, and hinged to the other, axles, wheels on the axles, equalizers on each axle, an intermediate equalizer, means for guiding the machine, vand an eXtensible shaft for con necting the gears of the two trucks together. 14. A traction engine, comprising two trucks, each of which is com osed of a frame, a compound axle and traction wheels, each of which is a. driver, and a, reach axially swiveled to one truck and hin ed lto the other truck whereby the front axe may turn to vthe right or left and either truck may tilt independently of the other.

In testimon whereof I aix my signature, in presence o two witnesses.

DANIEL T. TIMBERLAKE. Witnesses:

BENNETT S. JONES, J. WMQMISTER. 

